News

Mountain View Police Department detectives Tuesday (Aug. 15) arrested two East Bay men who attempted to steal a laptop by causing its owner to fall from a moving vehicle.

San Pablo resident Luis Bravo, 20, and El Cerrito resident Bomani Bassette, 19, were booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on charges of robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and kidnapping during a robbery. Emergency responders treated the victim at the scene for minor injuries he sustained in the incident.

Law enforcement officials responding to reports of a robbery in the 1600 block of Amphitheatre Parkway near Google’s campus discovered a Nissan sedan smashed into a utility pole, according to a police department press release.

The victim told police he arranged to meet with Bravo and Bassette to sell his laptop, and they coaxed him into the car so they could inspect it, according to the release. While one of the suspects examined the computer, the other pretended to offer the victim cash through a car window.

“As the victim reached to take the money, the driver of the car quickly accelerated through a parking lot in an attempt to get the victim to fall out of the car – and to subsequently not get the money he was owed in the transaction,” according to the release

The suspects eventually managed to dislodge the victim, and he tumbled from the sedan and began yelling, attracting help from a passerby and a Google security guard, according to the release. Meanwhile, the sedan struck the pole and the suspects attempted to run, but officers quickly apprehended them.

Bassette and Bravo are being held at the Santa Clara County Jail without bail. Their first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday.

Two rallies planned for Saturday in Mountain View turned into one Tuesday night (Aug. 15) after the organizer of the March on Google issued a statement about “credible alt-left terrorist threats.”

“In one instance, an alt-left threat was made to use an automobile to drive into our peaceful march,” event coordinator Jack Posobiec said in the statement on the group’s website. “We hope to hold our peaceful march in a few weeks’ time.”

The March on Google was supposed to be part of a nationwide demonstration at Google campuses against the firing of software engineer James Damore. He was fired after a memo criticizing diversity policies circulated the company earlier this month.

The cancellation of the march comes on the heels of last week’s violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va. Posobiec had previously called for Saturday’s now-postponed event to be peaceful.

Although the second event – the Stand Up For Equality and Diversity rally – was planned as a response to the March on Google, coordinator Lenny Siegel said it would go on as planned.

“We called our rally for equality and diversity and that’s what we’re trying to get across,” Siegel said. “I watched cable news yesterday, and Trump’s statement convinced me we definitely need to go ahead – even if the alt-righters aren’t showing up.”

The rally, organized by the Mountain View Voices for Peace and Justice, issued a statement written by Siegel Wednesday morning (Aug. 16) on the event’s status.

“Mountain View is a community that treasures diversity and struggles to promote equality,” Siegel said in the statement. “These human rights values are essential for our democracy, our culture and our economy. Along with our neighbors, we are driving the national economy. When we stand up, it provides a beacon of hope for the nation.”

Siegel said there would be an open mic at the rally to encourage attendees to offer their thoughts. Mountain View Voices for Peace and Justice has also coordinated with various groups in the area to set up tables at the rally. They plan on connecting attendees with these groups to help them become more engaged in today’s political climate.

“Perhaps there will be a smaller turnout,” Siegel said. “But I think it’s important for us to continue to speak out collectively and organize on many fronts.”

Cal Water workers repair a burst pipe on Magdalena Road, near Dawnridge Drive, on Aug. 9.

Two incidents last week left some local streets wetter than normal for a summer day.

The first incident occurred in Los Altos Hills at approximately noon Aug. 9 on Magdalena Road, near Dawnridge Drive. A pickup truck hit a fire hydrant, causing it to spew water into the air, according to Cal Water Customer Service Manager Scott Povio. Cal Water, in conjunction with the Santa Clara County Fire Department, made the repair.

When the city of Los Altos appointed Grace Lilygren to the Parks and Recreation Commission early this summer, she made history. At 16, she is believed to be the youngest resident ever to serve on the commission.

The Los Altos High School junior applied for the position in May, and, after being interviewed by Los Altos City Councilmembers in June, she secured one of the two open positions.

Renderings of Los Altos Community Investment’s First Street Green project show a three-story office building next to a public village square above underground parking.

Early Friday morning, nearly two dozen Los Altos residents gathered on the Downtown Green to learn about the plans for another one – the First Street Green.

The Los Altos Community Coalition hosted the Los Altos Community Investments presentation at the pop-up park, where LACI development adviser Kelly Snider told attendees that the First Street Green project is scheduled for its first public hearing – after 17 months of planning. Snider said the project is on the agenda for the Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (tentatively scheduled Sept. 6) and Planning and Transportation Commission (Oct. 19) meetings.

Los Altos and Los Altos Hills currently share three ZIP codes – 94022, 94023 and 94024 – but Hills Mayor Gary Waldeck is campaigning to secure five digits exclusive to his town. He formally proposed the idea at last month’s Los Altos Hills City Council meeting.

“It turns out, there’s quite a number of people who’d like to do it,” Waldeck said. “There’s a number of people who, I think, are fearful of what it would mean.”